ZANGZ’S GEN CON GAME FAIR JOURNAL 2002 – THE LAST HUZZAH!
- Here it is!!! The first official day of this years Gen Con Game Fair. I get there right at the stroke of
- There is such an over flux of people at this year’s Gen Con that convention center officials have to block off the escalators going up until the hall doors open.
- I’m trapped like a sardine between many other gamers who are trying to get onto the blocked off escalator.
- I look up from the second floor to the third floor and see my fellow Star Wars RPG gamers, Bruce and Leslie, standing there waiting to get in. They see me and wave. - I wave back to them helplessly as I’m still trapped on the 2nd floor. Luckily most of the gamers I’m squished in line with don’t smell quite as bad as Gen Con legends have suggested that Gen Coners smell. But I bet by the end of Sunday some of their fragrance will be a bit ripe.
- About five minutes after
- The hall is once again a gamer’s version of heaven. The room is filled with booths loaded with new role playing games, computer games, card games, T-shirts and other geek goodies to empty our wallets for.
- I start shopping for things on my list and collecting free swag.
- Within 5 minutes there’s a gentleman handing out free T-shirts!! This convention is starting off pretty good after all!!
- I walk up and down the aisles grabbing up things I know that I need to get now, because Gen Con won’t be here next year.
- Items Purchased:
-There’s a small Beanie Cthulhu (creature derived from the horror writings of H.P. Lovecraft) that I purchase and name Desmond.
-Next up another Lovecraft Ale T-shirt (the one I bought last year was a size too small).
-Then I grab a CD of the soundtrack of the first two seasons of Farscape.
-Then I go back to the Cthulhu trend and buy the Creature Companion for the Call of Cthulhu RPG that I run.
- I find out that Hasbro is going to sell these new customizable action figures called Stikfas the next day in the huge WOTC castle that they have set up smack dab in the center of the convention hall. I’ll have to go back later and grab me a couple.
- I spend the rest of the day walking up and down the aisles, grabbing free swag and people watching.
PEOPLE WATCHING, LESSON #1:
IF YOU DON’T HAVE A BODY THAT’S CONDUCIVE TO SHOWING IT OFF, DON’T DRESS LIKE YOU DO!!
God knows I’m not blessed with Mark Walberg’s physique. And that’s why you will not find me walking around in skimpy chain mail.
- I head on over to the Hyatt’s ballrooms for a celebrity Q&A.
- I meet up with Bruce and Leslie there and we go over our purchased boons for the day.
- Bruce made out with a bunch of die cast miniatures he likes to paint.
- Leslie is having one of the attending artists do a Boba Fett painting for her.
- The celebrity Q&A turns out to be Don P. Davis who plays the Colonel on “Stargate, S.G.-1” and portrayed Agent Scully’s father in episodes of “The X-Files”.
- Don was laid back and amusing. Says he started out as a stunt man and worked his way up… or over, depending on whom you ask.
- Afterward, we head down to Wells street where the convention organizers have closed off the street under the convention center’s overpass where a block party / boxing matches is about to commence.
- The party started a half an hour late and featured big pretzels with cheese and mustard, boxes of pop corn, ice cream bars and of course the most important ingredient… FREE BEER!!!!
- After grabbing some food and beverages, we find a table front and center and facing the boxing ring. Gaming company White Wolf (Vampire, Wraith, Werewolf, etc…) have challenged a few other gaming companies to three boxing matches that will last a few minutes each.
- I leave the table to get more FREE BEER, only to be horrified to find that the beer is no longer free (Gee… a half an hour of free beer. How gracious. …And YES, I am looking a gift horse in the mouth. DEAL WITH IT!!).
- I run into my friend, Spanky on the way back to the table. He’s dressed in appropriate con decor….NOT!!!
- A suit and tie adorns Spanky as he’s just arrived from the office. What? He didn’t take the day off for Gen Con? BLASPHEMY!!!!!
- I talk to him and another geek friend, Koreboy, and make plans to go to the celebrity Q&As that will be held on Saturday
- I head back to Bruce, Leslie and Bruce’s sister, Bonnie, who’s just joined us.
- The new owner of Gen Con gets up and speaks to the crowd.
- He apologizes for having to move the con.
- A few “Boos” are heard throughout the crowd.
- He explains how excited he is to be moving it to
- Crickets are heard chirping.
- Let the games begin!!!
- The first match is a bit of a slap fest. But the ring-girl is cute!!! White Wolf takes the victory!!
- The second match was a bit more violent. More of a smacking match this time. Cute ring-girl. White Wolf is victorious.
- The third match is far more exciting than the previous two. Blood was drawn!!! Ring-girl…cute. White Wolf wins again.
- White Wolf takes home the trophies… and the ring-girls.
- We pack it up and leave. I head home for a good night’s coma.
- Another long walk to the convention center got me there a little after
- Items Purchased:
- Two sets of role playing dice.
- An Evil Dead T-shirt for my friend Shifty’s B-day present.
- Two Stikfa action figures.
- The Dark Side Source Book for the Star Wars RPG.
- Almost the entire day was spent wandering, shopping and people watching.
PEOPLE WATCHING, LESSON #2:
THE GIRLS WHO ARE REALLY GOOD LOOKING AND ATTENDING THE CON ARE EITHER…
A. ARE THERE WITH A BOYFRIEND (USUALLY A C.E.O. OF A GAMING COMPANY).
B. ARE THERE TRYING TO SELL YOU THE NEXT BIG COLLECTIBLE CARD GAME (also know as CCGs …also known as expensive book marks. They can also be good for starting camp fires).
C. ARE THERE TO BOOST THEIR EGO BY BEING STARED AT AND HIT ON BY
D. ALL OF THE ABOVE!
- I decide to break up the monotony by heading over to the art show where many of the artists sell their fantasy paintings, pictures, crafts and prints.
- I see Brom’s display. He’s not there, unfortunately.
- All of the art is quite enjoyable, and it’s nice to be able to meet and talk to the artists themselves.
- Sadly, outside of the Brom work, nothing really jumps out at me this year.
- I head back to the show room and wander up and down the isles some more.
- I see Don P. Davis and Teryl Rothery from Stargate-SG1 signing autographs at the autograph booth.
- I run into my friends Hope and Mario. They’re having a good time and rush on by to do more shopping.
- I walk down another isle to see a small line of people. At the head of the line is a tall slender fellow signing game cards.
- IT’S BROM!!! I get in line and when my turn comes up I gush like a complete idiot. I tell him I love his creepy, undead paintings. He says he likes painting the creepy, undead things. Cool. I got to meet him after all.
- Five minutes later, Brom alerts security to my presence.
- I do more walking and people watching.
PEOPLE WATCHING LESSON #3:
WHEN OGLING THE SPOKES-MODELS, DON’T MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH THEM. IF YOU DO MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH THEM, DON’T CONTINUE TO OGLE THEM. IF YOU DO CONTINUE TO OGLE THEM, DON’T DO IT FOR 45 MINUTES STRAIGHT. THE CONVENTION HALL’S SECURITY ARE ALLOWED TO USE PEPPER SPRAY!!
- It’s early evening and it’s nearing time for me to go to my first seminar. It’s on how to utilize villains in your campaigns.
- The seminar is a good one and answers a few questions I had on how to manage my lead villain in the “Call of Cthulhu” game I’m running.
- I find I have another hour before my last seminar. So I head down to the Hyatt’s bar and run into a few mutual friends.
- After a beer and good conversation, I head to the next seminar, a game masters’ panel.
- This seminar pretty much proved to me that I was running my Cthulhu game correctly so far as well as what to watch out for as a game master.
- It’s late and it’s time to head back home and sleep.Part 6 is on the way, gang!
Zangz.
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